As one conventional example of producing an optically active amino compound via an amino group transferring reaction, it has been reported that amino group transfer to benzylacetone, phenylacetone, and acetophenone by using ω-amino acid transaminase obtained from bacillus megaterium can synthesize optically active amino compounds from these ketones, respectively (U.S. Pat. No. 2,846,074: Patent Citation 1). However, this synthesis is not so industrially applicable due to extremely low substrate concentration in its reaction solution.
Meanwhile, WO00/26351 (Patent Citation 2) describes that an aryl alkyl ketone such as 3-hydroxy acetophenone, 3-trifluoromethylphenylacetone, or the like is reacted with (S)-phenethylamine: pyruvate transaminase, thereby to synthesize an optically active amino compound of the ketone compound. Patent Citation 2, however, does not refer to cyclic ketones.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-142793 (Patent Citation 3) obtains an aminotransferase from bacillus sp. The aminotransferase is characterized in that it will not be inhibited by gabaculine, which is an enzyme inhibitor. Patent Citation 3 describes that it is possible to synthesize an optically active amino compound from propiophenone by transferring an amino group in n-butylamine thereto by using the aminotransferase. However, this synthesis is not so industrially applicable due to extremely low substrate concentration in its reaction solution.
[Patent Citation 1] U.S. Pat. No. 2,846,074
[Patent Citation 2] WO 00/26351
[Patent Citation 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication, Tokukai, No. 2002-142793